The Six Winners And Losers Of This Year’s NBA Draft

Six Winners

New Orleans- Sure having the #1 pick helps, but anytime you can land two starters in the same draft there’s cause for celebration. Rivers and Davis make up two of the top three players in the high school class of 2011, and immediately bump the Hornets up from bottom of the barrel to playoff contenders out West.

Golden State- An All-American (granted it was pre-season), the Big 10 Player of the Year (Draymond Green) and a pair of 7 footers (Vandy’s Festus Ezeli and Ognjen Kuzmic from Turkey)? I’ll take those additons any day. Look for Barnes to help stretch the floor and thrive in Dorell Wright’s former minutes in the Bay.

Boston- They got bigger, stronger and more Orange on the inside. If Sully’s bulging dick can clear up, then they just got themselves some lottery talent at a bargain price.

Houston- So Daryl wasn’t able to turn his three first round picks into Dwight, Tyreke, Josh Smith or Andre Drummond, but he did walk away with three guys with lottery level talent in Jeremy Lamb, Royce White and Terence Jones. All three will be solid contributors next season and at the very least intriguing trade chips.

Oklahoma City- Knock him all you want but Perry Jones at #28 is an absolute steal. Anytime you can add a guy who was at one time in the not-so-distant past considered a top 5 pick for pennies you’ve got to be happy. Like I said in the mock draft, anything the Thunder got out of this draft would be icing on the cake for the leagues most complete team. 

Milwaukee- I liked the Hensen pick at #14, but I loved the Lamb pick at #42. This is someone who will be a quality backup guard in the league for years to come and has unlimited range from three. 

Six Losers

Brooklyn- They could have headed to the Big Apple with Harrison Barnes, instead they got Ilkan Karaman.

New York- They could have opted for a home grown talent like Kyle O’Quinn or Kevin Jones, instead they drafted a player from Greece who we’ll probably never see in a Knicks uni.

Portland- Anytime you spend two lottery picks on a point guard who never competed against a top 25 team in his four years of college and a 7 foot white guy with minimal playing experience you've got to be a little hesitant to give it the old stamp of approval. Will Barton and Tyshawn Taylor were nice second round steals, but I don't like them enough to forget about the Leonard pick. I would have gone with John Hensen.

Cleveland- It's hard to say any team really loses when they add lottery talent, but with that being said I feel the Cavs really reached on Dion Waiters. I know my biased 'Cuse fans love the guy, so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I just hope this isn't another case of Marvin Williams all over again. However, the real reason Cleveland makes it on my shit list is because they traded three draft picks for Tyler Zellar. Not knocking Tyler, but in a deep draft I feel they could have improved even more by adding a few more pieces. 

Miami- Even though they landed themselves a future #1 pick from Philly, you've got to hate when a team drops out of the draft altogether. Especially with Perry Jones still on the board. 

Denver- For the sole reason that they robbed us of seeing our first All-American first round since 1995!

-fresh (@danye33)

This Week In Horrific Bleacher Report Reporting- James Harden For Brad Beal Edition

By now we all know that making fun of the Bleacher Report's work is like shooting fish in a barrel. They pry on unintelligent sports fans who are too dumb to realize that what they're reading has zero context and then feed off the page views their slideshow style format produces. With over seven thousand unpaid contributors, you'd be hard pressed to find an idiot you went to school with, or neighbor down the street, who hasn't been published on this sorry excuse for a sports site. This weeks example of their ineptitude comes via Sam Quinn's piece on why the Oklahoma City Thunder should trade James Harden for Bradley Beal. Let's see what the "world's fourth largest sports media site" has to say about this shall we?

ESPN has reported that the Thunder have considered trying to move up in the draft to select Florida shooting guard Bradley Beal. Unfortunately for them, such a move would undoubtedly cost them star sixth-man James Harden. Before you go shooting down such a trade, at least take a moment to consider a few things.

One….Two….Okay, I took a moment. Still not buying it.

First of all, under the current rookie-salary scale, as the No. 2 pick, Beal would make approximately $16 million over the next four years. Assuming Harden gets the maximum contract he deserves, Harden would earn over $50 million in that same time frame. 

It’s actually closer to $19 million but who’s counting?

Paying a star like Harden wouldn't be a problem for most teams, but Oklahoma City already has two players (Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook) signed to maximum contracts and a third (Serge Ibaka) likely seeking a contract that pays upwards of $10 million per year.

Ibaka is a lifetime 8/7 player, not the typical production you would expect from a guy making ten figures a year. Granted he’s one of the best defensive big men in the league, but that still doesn’t change the fact that Nick Collison stole minutes from him in the Finals. I say they pay Harden, amnesty Perk, offer Ibaka 8 mil a year and if he doesn’t like it he can walk. If he wants to win multiple championships he stays. Done and done.

Considering the new luxury tax rules, a small-market team like the Thunder can't possibly afford to pay four players that much money and still field a competitive team around them. In the end, either Harden or Ibaka will be gone.

The league is gravitating towards faster and smaller lineups, plus Durant can play the four or five for extended periods of time and still be very effective. Harden is a border line Olympian for Christ sake! You can’t afford to lose a player of his caliber.

Would you rather have Harden for one year or Beal for four?

HARDEN!!!!!!!!

This move also makes sense on the court. Beal has been compared to both Ray Allen and Eric Gordon. Allen is the best three-point shooter of all time, and Gordon is on track for a similar career.

Eric Gordon played 9 games last season and shot 25% from behind the arc.

The Thunder shot 32-of-105 from long range in the NBA Finals for 30.5 percent, whereas Miami made 42-of-98 three-pointers for 42.9 percent. In such a close series, that might have made the difference—especially when you consider that without Kevin Durant's 13-for-33 performance, the Thunder fell to 26.3 percent. 

Oklahoma was the best foul shooting team in the league last year, the third best overall shooting team from the field and the eleventh best from 3 during the regular season. But why critique from a 66 game sample size when you can focus in on five games against the fourth best defense in the league? Oh, and Kevin Durant IS on the team so I don’t know why you wouldn't include his shooting numbers with the team's stats.

While Harden is a fine long-distance shooter (for his career he's at 37 percent), he isn't elite. What's more is that Harden needs the ball in his hands to score.

Bradley Beal shot 34% from 3 last year in college, you know, that league where the three point line is three feet closer to the hoop!!! Also, take a second and re-read that last sentence- “Harden needs the ball in his hands to score”. As opposed to Beal, who can put it in the net telepathically. On second thought they should totally trade for this guy!

Normally that wouldn't be an issue, but the Thunder already have two ball-dominant stars. Beal would add a new dimension to the Thunder offense by being being a catch-and-shoot-type player. He can come off screens and hit shots at a better rate than Harden can. 

I’ll ignore the fact that this article actually got published with the double “being” in it, but “hit shots at a better rate”? I’m not buying it. Harden shot more than 5% better than Beal on both FG% and 3P%, while playing against superior competition.

Replacing Harden with Beal would give Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant more possessions. It would also end clamors from some fans that Harden, not Westbrook, should be the team's primary ball-handler.

Harden should be the teams primary ball handler. He penetrates with ease and this would take the distribution burden off of Russell Westbrook’s shoulders. Russ is one of the top five scorers in the league and he shouldn’t have to worry about getting teammates looks and handling the rock at all times. Westbrook is a better version of Penny 2.0 and it’s only a matter of time before he makes the jump back to his original position, shooting guard.  

Each of Oklahoma City's three perimeter stars (assuming Beal gets close to that level) would have a defined role. Durant would be the all-purpose scorer, Westbrook would be the driver and distributor and Beal would be the shooter.

This team just won the Western Conference title with Harden as their shooter.

Basketball is about fit as much as talent. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen worked so well together because they played so different. A big issue Oklahoma City faced in the finals was how similarly James Harden and Russell Westbrook play sometimes, and how hard it is for them to play off of each other. 

Apparently it’s not that hard for them to play together, considering they're 152-78 in their three regular seasons together, and oh yea, MADE IT TO THE NBA FINALS!!!!!!

While Beal isn't as good as Harden right now, he is more than capable of reaching that level. If the Thunder are truly committed to winning multiple championships, trading for Beal is the right long-term move.

More capable of reaching what level? Harden just won the NBA’s 6^thMan Award, is one of the most recognizable faces (beards) in the game, averaged 17 points in 31 minutes off the bench and is currently trying out for a roster spot on Team USA. But no, paying a guy like that would absolutely mean they’re not committed to winning multiple championships.  

Where's my $200 mil?

-fresh (@danye33)

That Shit Cray

LeBron James has quite the documented history of rapping, so when I clicked this video of him mouthing "N*ggas In Paris" I thought I was in for another one of his typical lip syncing charades. WRONG. This is arguably the most bad ass basketball video I've ever seen. Apparently it was from one of James' lockout All-Star games last summer and the video starts with Bron singing his boy Hova's single while someone shoots a free throw.  Afterwards, the ball is in-bounded to James, who then takes two nonchalant dribbles before sinking a 50+ foot jump shot from behind the half court line that swishes at the buzzer. It wasn't a heave, it wasn't a chuck, it was a pull up J. FROM HALF COURT! Take that Skip Bayless. Clutch gene like a MF'er.

-fresh (@danye33)

2012 N.B.A. Mock Draft, 2 Man Weave Style

Welcome to the second annual NBA Mock Draft, 2 Man Weave Style. This year's crop of incoming talent features a slew of ballers who have already been on America's radar for quite sometime. Unlike last year's draft which saw four of the first seven picks come from overseas, this class has been primarily born and raised state side, and features a handful of household names.

The draft is my favorite night of the year. Tall men don ridiculous outfits, smokeshow girlfriends are put on display like show room cars and words like "wing span" and "potential" get tossed around like a Mike Martz offense. It's a night where hype surpasses talent on the food chain of relevance and it's a time where hopeless teams can (temporarily) find hope.

The 2012 NBA Draft kicks off on Thursday, June 28th, live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey and will air on ESPN. And now, the picks!

1. New Orleans- Anthony Davis, 6'10 PF, Kentucky

Davis is a gem of a player, a lanky big with the rare ability to dictate the game from the the defensive end. He led Kentucky to their first National title in 15 years, and officially murdered the stigma that one and dones can't win it all. He shattered the SEC single season block record (186) and took home the highly coveted Naismith Award, which is given annually to the nation's top player.

With a possible assist from commissioner David Stern, the Hornet's luck out big time here. He is the only player in this draft I would feel comfortable betting my life on that they will make at least one All-Star appearance, and the addition of the Unibrow is certain to go a long way in luring other marque free agents (like SG  Eric Gordon) to sign. In essence, he is New Orleans' life preserver.

2. Charlotte- Thomas Robinson, 6'9 PF, Kansas

Ah, what to do for the team that needs everything? I'd say taking Thomas Robinson, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year and First Team All American is a good start .  If the Bobcats don't trade down, or out altogether, which I highly suggest they do, then I think they have to go with the decorated Jay Hawk enforcer. He averaged just under 18/12 in his junior campaign, and his 7'1" wing span will more than make up for his slightly undersized 6'9" frame at the next level. The Bobcats may not be landing the star they had hoped for after a season in which they set the record for impotence, but adding someone who can contribute right away is a nice consolation prize. It’s the safe pick, which goes against MJ’s track record as a GM. 

Maybe that’s a good thing.       

3. Washington- Bradley Beal, 6'4 SG, Florida

The best case scenario for the Wizards would be to have sharp shooter Bradley Beal Occupying John Wall Street in the D.C. back court for the better half of the next decade. This Gator gunner enters the '12 draft as the most highly coveted two guard, and despite shooting just 34% from behind the arc as a freshman, scouts feel he will have no problem adjusting to life behind the NBA 3 point line. He has 6'7" wingspan, and pulled down 6.7 boards per game at UF, stellar production from a guard.

4. Cleveland- Harrison Barnes, 6'8 SF, North Carolina

It's no secret that the Cavs have a sweet spot for this UNC swingman. Had Barnes left Chapel Hill after his freshman year, it probably would have been him, not Tristan Thompson, wearing the crimson and yellow alongside Kyrie. So it makes sense for Cleveland to scoop him this time around if available. It's easy to knock Barnes for not living up to expectations in college, but when you consider what was expected of him before he even donned a uni (first and only freshman to ever be named to the Pre-Season All American Team), it makes a little bit more sense why he came up short. At 6'8" he is the ideal size for a small forward, and the safe pick to contribute right away. You can pencil him for 10/5 his rookie season, which leads us to...

5. Sacramento- Andre Drummond, 6'11 C, UConn

Andre "high risk, high reward" Drummond is the most polarizing player in the 2012 Draft. He stands 6'11" with a staggering 7'6" wingspan, and is the most physically imposing player to enter the draft since Dwight Howard. But although you can't coach size, you better hope the Kings coaching staff will be able to teach other basic fundamentals like foul shooting (29%) and rebounding (less than 7 defensive rpg per. 40 minutes last season). Though a front court pairing of Drummond and DeMarcus could leave fans salivating in Sac-Town, one still has to question how a team with two lottery players failed to find even marginal success in college (Andre and Jeremy Lamb led the Huskies to a mediocre 20-14 record in 2012). Fair or not, the Hasheem Thabeet comps will be prevalent until proven differently.

6. Portland- Jeremy Lamb, 6'5 SG, UConn

Admittedly, this is a bit of a reach pick for Portland, but I think he fills a need that the Blazers must address- shooting guard. He averaged nearly 18 ppg for the aforementioned underachieving Huskies last year, however he was an intricate part of their 2011 Championship team the year before, playing alongside Kemba Walker.  This draft is extremely deep at the 2-guard position, and Lamb is the second best option behind Beal. He can guard all three perimeter positions with his 7'+ wingspan, and could go a long way in helping Blazer's fans get over the loss of Brandon Roy.

 *pours out 40*

7. Golden State- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, 6'6, SF, Kentucky 

Like most David Lee anchored front courts, the Warriors have spent the better part of the last two seasons severely lacking muscle and toughness inside. Sure, the debut of Andrew Bogut in the sunshine state will help that cause, but not as much as the addition of Kidd-Gilchrist will. The Wildcat wingman averaged just under 12/8 per game, and despite not having as high of a ceiling as some of the other guys in this draft (Henson, Lillard, Waiters), you know exactly what you’re going to get with MKG and sometimes that’s even more important. He has won at every level and is a fierce competitor. This move will also make room for Klay Thompson to shift to shooting guard, where he'll use his size advantage to thrive in his second season in Golden State. If Mr. Glass, Steph Curry, could manage to stay healthy, the Warriors would have a nice, budding, young nucleus to go to war with out west. 

8.Toronto- Dion Waiters, 6'4 SG, Syracuse

Waiters has already allegedly received a promise from a team in the top 10, and I'm willing to put my money on that team being Toronto. The Raptors will head into next season with Jonas Valanciunas, last year's #5 overall pick, which allows them to enter this draft playing with house money. Meaning they can address specific needs, rather than go for best available. Though Waiters passing and rebounding could both use severe improvements (sub 3/gm in both categories last year at Cuse), the wing from Philly will bring some much needed scoring, and toughness, to America's hat.

9. Detroit- John Henson, 6'10 PF, North Carolina

Henson is the ultimate defensive package. He averaged more than 10rpg last year for the Tar Heels, to go along with his Serge Ibaka-esq. 3.2 blocked shots per contest. With this pick, Detroit shows a commitment to improving on defense, and provides great young help down low for their leader, Greg Monroe. Another strong draft from the Pistons and they'll almost be back to playing competitive basketball, after those crippling '09 contracts they handed out to Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva.

10. New Orleans- Terence Jones, 6'8 PF, Kentucky

Had Jones left Kentucky after his Freshman year, he likely would have been a top 5 pick. Instead he now finds himself in the lower half of the lottery, where he will be reunited with front court running mate Anthony Davis. The duo won a national title together this past season, so clearly chemistry isn't an issue, and Jones' range and length make him a match up nightmare for either forward position. Plus, he ran the point as a freshman in high school so you know he's comfortable with the rock in his hands.

11. Portland- Damian Lillard, 6-3 PG, Weber State

Portland has been pretty open about their lust for Lillard, and with any luck, he'll still be on the board when the Blazers go on the clock at #11. The Oakland product averaged a jaw-dropping 24.5 ppg last year, while shooting 41% from behind the arc and 89% from the stripe. If the Blazers are in fact able to pair up Lillard with Lamb in their back court, things could really start looking up in the pacific northwest. I still can't believe the Nets gift wrapped this team a rebuilding package for (quite possibly) nothing (if Wallace opts out this summer).

12. Milwaukee- Tyler Zellar, 7'0 C, North Carolina

The Bucks reload with Bogut 2.0 in Tyler Zellar, the 7 foot senior out of North Carolina. Zellar is a great talent who earned himself ACC Player of the Year honors, after putting up close to 17 ppg/10 rpg in his last season as a Tar Heel. He has great range for a big man and improved drastically in each of his four collegiate seasons. There's no reason to expect that trend to stop once he reaches the pros.

13. Phoenix- Austin Rivers, 6-4 SG, Duke

Rivers, the ACC's Freshman of the Year, has an immense knowledge for the game, essentially growing up in NBA arenas while father Doc played and later coached. The 6'5" (in shoes) combo guard showed some chops in his only season in Durham, and although he could have benefited from another season under Coach K (who wouldn't?), he should have no problem logging serious minutes right from the get go. It remains to be seen whether or not Steve Nash will resign in the desert, with Miami, Toronto and New York as possible alternative landing spots, and if that happens I think the no brainer move would be to hand over the point guard keys to Rivers.



It really is a shame that Boston doesn't have a higher draft pick, but I'm still holding onto hope that they'll trade up so we can finally see a father-son NBA duo.

14. Houston- Terence Ross, 6'7 SG, Washington

The sophomore, All-Pac 12 shooting guard has the ideal frame for an NBA 2. And although Houston's back court is already a bit crowded with Kevin Martin, Kyle Lowry and (possibly) Goran Dragic, you can never have too many scorers on your roster. Ross will need to bulk up, and improve his touch around the basket, but you've got to love his knack for hitting the glass (6+ per) and that silky smooth jump shop of his. Random fact- Ross and Terence Jones (#10 in mock) were high school teammates at Jefferson High School where they won three straight Oregon class 5A state championships.

15. Philly- Jared Sullinger, 6'9 PF, Ohio State

Sully is a proven winner and force to be reckoned with down on the blocks, which is why it's so unfortunate that his limited athletic ability will likely scare off lottery teams from drafting him. Despite being named as a first team All-American and captain of a Buckeyes team that made it all the way to the Final Four this past season, Sullinger's draft stock has taken a massive hit of late due to concerns about his weight, potential effectiveness at the next level and most importantly, his back issues. Philly could be looking at their next starting power forward, or the next Sean May. Either way, it's a high risk-medium reward situation, but I think Philly rolls the dice with Sullinger.

16. Houston- Perry Jones, 6'11 PF, Baylor

As PJ3 continues to do his best Facebook IPO impression and plummet down mocks across the country, I can't help but think Houston will stop the bleeding and snag him at sixteen.  This is a player who as recently as early May was thought to be a high end lottery pick, and had he left Baylor after his freshman year would have been a top 5 pick. The knock on Jones seems to be his tendency to disappear every now and then, including a 2 point performance in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against S.D. State and 4 points in 41 minutes earlier in the year versus West Virginia. At 6'11" you would like to see Jones bulk up and learn to play with his back to the basket. But apparently he has other plans in mind. Check out this tweet from Chad Ford -

Regardless, you've got to love the Paul George comp, and the fact that this pick comes via the Knicks (the unforgivable T-Mac trade) is why I'm almost certain it will pan out for Houston.

17. Dallas- Kendall Marshall, 6'4 PG, North Carolina

Marshall is a transcendent point guard who averaged a mind blowing 9.8 apg for the Tar Heels. Had it not been for a freak fractured wrist in the second round of the torney, it might have been a lighter shade of blue that lifted the gold plated Wooden Championship trophy.  He would be a great fit in Dallas as the heir to their PG throne once J-Kidd finally goes the way of Old Yeller, and an even better consolation prize if they miss out of the D-Will sweepstakes.

18. Houston- Meyers Leonard, 7' C, Illinois

Houston obtained this pick from the Timberwolves in a trade for 2012 Dunk Contest participant Chase Budinger on Tuesday. The move leaves the Rockets with three first round picks (14,16 & 18) which could be used to either rebuild or go after a marquee player like Dwight Howard. But regardless of whether it's Orlando or Houston making this pick Thursday night, both would be in desperate need of a center, and Meyers is a 7 footer who could come in and contribute right away.

19. Orlando- Maquis Teague, 6'2 PG, Kentucky

Teague is the latest in a long line of elite UK point guards destined for success at the next level, following in the footsteps of Rajon Rondo, John Wall and Eric Bleadsoe. Maquis boasted a respectable 10/5, while logging over 1300 minutes in his lone season in Lexington. And although he may not be primed for a starting job right off the back, if Jameer Nelson opts out of his contract, the position is his to lose.

20. Denver- Moe Harkless, 6'8 SF, St. John's

Harkless hopes to be the first Johnny since Eric Barkley (2000) to get drafted in the first round. Which is almost as unbelievable as the fact that the last Red Storm to get drafted, period, was Omar Cook back in the second round of the '01 draft. Moe gets up and down the floor like a guard and attacks the rim with reckless abandon. The Big East Rookie of the Year averaged an impressive 15/8.6 and should fit right in with the run and gun Nuggets, the NBA's highest scoring team for two straight years. Right now he's kind of teetering between the lines of a small or power forward. However, if he wants to excel as a 3 in the league he'll have to improve his 20% shooting from behind the arc. But then again, that's the same exact percentage Tyreke Evans shot this past season, so maybe he's already good to go?

21. Boston- Arnett Moultrie, 6'10 PF, Mississippi State

Arnett, last year's most highly touted transfer (after leaving UTEP for Miss St.) finds himself a nice landing spot in Boston, on a team with lots of holes, and more importantly, front court minutes to go around (especially if KG high tails it out of there). The double double machine was named to the All-SEC team in his junior campaign, which saw him log a ridiculous 36 minutes per game. One stat that really jumps out to me when I look at Moultrie's numbers is his 5.2 offensive rebounds per 40 minutes, to go along with his 10.6 rpg overall. Look for Greg Stiemsma's bench reign to come to an abrupt halt next season in Bean town.

22. Boston- Doron Lamb, 6'4 SG, Kentucky

Okay, so Moultrie and Lamb doesn't have quite the same ring to it that Garnett and Allen once had, but if two of the big three decide to call it quits in Boston, it'll be reassuring to know that they can get a good chunk of their rebuilding done in the draft. Rondo, Bradley and Lamb would make a terrific three headed back court monster that could spread the floor and cause headaches for opposing defenses on a nightly basis. Doron shot better than 47% from deep in his two years at Lexington, and was the leading scorer in the 2012 National Championship game (22 points).

23. Atlanta- Andrew Nicholson, 6'9 PF, St. Bonaventure

Nicholson is a strong power forward who logged over 3,600 minutes in his four year tenure at St. Bonaventure. He increased his rebounding totals each season and was a prolific scorer who can burn you from anywhere on the court. The Hawks are one of those teams that have been stuck in no man's land for about three years too long, consistently finish either forth or fifth in the East, but lacking the talent/coaching/chemistry to make that next leap. A rebuilding process man be in order in Hotlanta, and if that's the case, Nicholson could be a nice piece to that puzzle.

24. Cleveland- Jeffery Taylor, 6'7 SF, Vanderbilt

Taylor is as durable as they come, missing only one start in his four years at Vandy. He has the ideal size for an NBA wing, and is a lock down perimeter defender. The Cavs are in the midst of a full on revival, lead by Kyrie Irving and (if this mock plays out) Harrison Barnes. Another young piece that will provide Iman Shumpert-esq. defense on the perimeter could be very beneficial for these young gunners.

25. Memphis- Quincy Miller, 6'9 SF, Baylor

The Big 12 Freshman of the Year led the Bears to their highest ranking ever this past season (#3) and Grizzlies hope he can bring them to never before seen heights as well. The versatile, lanky wing can guard both forward positions and is an excellent shot blocker/rebounder. He's only 19 years old, so a few seasons playing the role of Rudy Gay's apprentice could go a long way in setting him up for a successful career.


Random fact that has nothing to do with basketball- Quincy has thirteen siblings!

26. Indiana- Royce White, 6'8 PF, Iowa State

It's almost impossible to read up on Royce White and not come across the words "lottery talent" and "anxiety", and unfortunately this write up will be no different. The 6'8 bruiser out of Iowa State nearly averaged a double-double last season, but it's his ongoing battle with anxiety that captures the attention of most NBA GM's. White was ready to transfer to Kentucky back in 2010, with an offer letter on the table, when his fear of flying led to a severe panic attack and caused him to cancel his trip to Lexington. He's since addressed these issues, and I don't think it should deter Larry Bird from making this pick. Indian is on the cusp of becoming a power house in the East and if they hit a home run with Royce, Boston, Chicago and New York better watch out.

27. Miami- Fab Melo, 7'0 C, Syracuse

The Heat payed out a combined 8 million dollars in 2012 for the dismal services of Joel Anthony, Eddy Curry, Juwan Howard and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, so you better believe they would welcome this young 7 footer and his rookie contract with open arms. Sure, Fab may have single handedly ruined his schools chances of winning the title this year after he was ruled ineligible just days before the tournament started, but his 3 bpg and 56% shooting from the field are sure to make this Brazilian big man a hot commodity come draft day, and Miami is ready for the heat.

28. Oklahoma City- Tony Wroton, 6'5 PG, Washington

Wroton has been on basketball scouts radar since he was in middle school and excelled last season at Washington, where he took home Pac 12 Freshman of the Year honors. He's a combo guard who can get to the rim with the best of them, but he needs to needs to improve his long range shooting something awful. He averaged the same ppg as his 3P% (16), which is beyond unacceptable for a guard. Luckily for OKC, they're the most complete team in the league already, and anything they gain from the draft is icing on the cake. Look for Tony to contribute immediately off the bench, and excel in Derick Fisher's former minutes.

29. Chicago- John Jenkins, 6'4 SG, Vanderbilt

For the second year in a row injuries led to Chicago's premature demise. The signing of oft-injured Rip Hamilton proved to be much ado about nothing, leaving the Bulls once again in the market for a 2. If Jenkins is still available at #29 then he is a no brainer to become D Rose's latest running mate. John averaged 20 ppg last year for Vandy and hit nearly 4 threes per contest.

30. Golden State- Draymond Green, 6'7 SF, Michigan State

Golden State received this pick from San Antonio during the baffling Richard Jefferson-Stephan Jackson swap, which on paper was one of the worst trades of the season (I'm looking at you, Billy King). Jackson is the better player, with the better contract, and on the surface it looked like the Spurs once again were playing chess while the rest of the league played checkers. That still may be the case, but this pick will be the Warriors last chance to save face, which is why they should go with a proven vet, Big 10 Player of the Year, Draymond Green. He was the first player from a power conference to average 10/5/3 since Tim Duncan in '97 and  was the only player in the Big 10 to finish in the top ten in points, rebounds and assists per game. The do-it-all wing would be a nice addition to a team that once started Chris Wright, Charles Jenkins, Jeremy Tyler and Mickell Gladness.

Pick for 2013 Rookie of the Year- There's only one choice and it's the one eyebrowed bandit, Anthony Davis. Look for Davis to log close to thirty five minutes per night, and with Okafor gone, the paint will be his playground in N'awlins.

-fresh (@danye33)

Dan is the editor in chief of The 2 Man Weave


For a look back in time, check out our 2011 Weave Mock Draft.

Toss Up! Which Ex-NBA Star Has The More Embarrassing YouTube Video?

In today's installment of "Toss Up" we're going to break down two bizarrely unique YouTube videos featuring former NBA All-Stars, Scottie Pippin and Stephon Marbury. Pippin's video features the former 6x World Champion/Dream Team member getting beat up by a gang of angry midgets. While Marbury's vid features him crying, shirtless and listening to "Lean On Me" by Kirk Franklin. We're going to take this one to the tape to see just which one of these grown men stars in the more embarrassing clip.

Look, life’s tough. And everyone grieves with their hardships in different ways . So if something is eating you up inside, or your down in the dumps, there’s nothing wrong with throwing on a little Kirk Franklin, saying a prayer and watering your cheek bones. HOWEVAH- this does become a problem when you decided to do your aforementioned mourning over the internet during a live YouStream show.  Though not as disturbing as that time he ate Vaseline, this video came off as way darker, and gave us a deeper insight to just how far his fall from stardom had taken him. Could you picture Kobe Bryant making a video of himself shirtless and crying while listening to Boyz II Men? No, you couldn’t imagine it because it would NEVER happen. But with Marbury, anything is possible.

Bonus points for eating his own boogers at the end!  

The Pippin videos come to you via “Midgets vs. Mascots”, which you can order today for only $14.99 (includes free pack of midget condoms to give to your friends. Not kidding)! Apparently it’s a “Borat” meets “Jackass” shockumentary where five little people and five mascots battle for $1 million apiece. Gary Coleman is credited for starting the fight with Pippin, though he cannot be seen in the above video (presumably because he’s too short- ZING!). Anyway this has got to be one of the lowest point in MJ’s sidekicks career. I mean, other than that time he sued countless blogs that had been reporting that he was broke. Because, you know, he totally didn’t NEED that money he was suing for. Either way, it’s probably better that he got beat up by those “little people” than his bookie amiright?

The Winner

There's no crying in baseball basketball!

-fresh (@danye33)

LeBatard's Back With Another Rant!

Shortly after LeBron's "Decision" back in 2012, Dan LeBatard hit Miami radio airwaves with an epic rant that continues to live on in infamy to this day. Well, he's back at it again, and this time he's shitting on Boston, whom the Heat recently eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals. Granted seventy five percent of why I love these things so much has to do with the background beat he's screaming over, but the fact remains I look forward to these rants the way stoners look forward to free Slurpie day at 7-11.

Below are my top my favorite quotes from his latest installment.

5. Hey Boston! Your Doc loses Game 7. Our Docs augment breasts!
4. The sixty story John Handcock tower boasts thirteen acres of glass. After Game 6, LeBron returned to South Beach, and thirteen acres of ASS!
3. Your most famous party Boston featured tea! Our most famous parties, FEATURE E!!!
2. Marquis Daniels looks like a cat fish!
1. You eat Boston cream pies, baked beans and chow-dah. You know what we eat? We'll eat your motherfuckin' face!

What the hell does too debaucherous mean?

-fresh (@danye33)

The First Kevin

As humans, we have this strange, inherited obsession with comparing new things in life, to things that we already know and are familiar with.  We’re always looking for that next person, band or political leader to come along that reminds of us whatever various person, band or political leader we’ve attached ourselves to in the past. In no case has this been more clear than in the witch hunt to crown the next Michael Jordan.

Before Michael’s career was even over, America had already begun it’s crusade to crown an identical successor to His Airness. First there was Allen Iverson, than there was Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and most recently, LeBron James. And though all had moments (prolonged in some cases) of greatness, ultimately, all fell short of achieving MJ’s legacy. How do you emulate a transcendent man? You can’t.

With the bar set that high, failure is the only option. So when you start off comparing these young superstars to Michael Jordan right off the bat, it’s like playing a game of craps with a pair of loaded dice. You’re not going to win.

The latest player to get his name thrown into the ring of fire that is the MJ comparison is Kevin Durant, the 23 year old forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder.  The 6’10” “small forward” can cover opponents centers, or bring the ball up the court. There is no stopping him.  In just five years in the league, Durant has already won the Rookie of the Year award, led the league in scoring three times, made the first team All-NBA roster three times and has now led his franchise to their first Finals appearance in over fifteen years. Before that, he was the first player to win the Naismith Award, college basketball's highest honor, and was drafted second overall in the 2007 Draft. Jordan went third in ’84.

The Durantula has already solidified himself in the NBA circles as the poster child for everything that is right with the league. He announced his re-signing with the small market Thunder humbly via Twitter. He toured the country, dominating street ball games while the rest of his colleagues played videogames and moped about the lockout. He never criticizes teammates, officials or opponents. He takes, and makes, the last shot, then goes over to hug his mother. He’s the guy fathers want their daughters to date. In 2012, he is basketball.

To compare this young man to anyone is not only unnecessary, but it’s also unfair. The ink from the first chapter of Durant’s basketball story hasn't even dried yet, and when it’s all said and done, you can bet on it being a bestseller.

So would I say he’s the next Jordan? Not in a million years. He’s the first Kevin, and that’s exactly the way it should be.

-fresh (@danye33) 

New Orleans Wins The Unibrow Sweepstakes

The New Orleans Hornets won the 2012 NBA draft lottery tonight, earning the right to select The Unibrow, Kentucky All-American Anthony Davis, with the first pick in next month's draft. The Hornets were 21-45 last season and had a 13.7% chance of having their ping pong ball selected first. But despite the good odds, you can bank on the conspiracy theorists coming out in full force in these next few days, seeing that New Orleans is still currently owned by the National Basketball Association itself. Tom Benson, who also owns the Saints, bought the Hornets in April after bounty gate swept the nation, and some people like to lionize over the idea that perhaps Stern assured him of the #1 pick to sweeten the pot. This is all fair and good, but the fact of the matter remains that this year's lottery would have been a lose-lose no matter where the pong balls landed.

If New Jersey Brooklyn had landed the top pick, everyone would have said it was because the league wanted the Nets to succeed in their new arena and remain get competitive. If the Kings got the first pick it would have been because they wanted the Maloof's to get funding for a new stadium. If the Bobcats had gotten it, it would have been because they wanted Jordan to get back on his feet. The reasoning behind the Cavs getting it for a second year in a row would have been because of "The Decision" backlash.

No matter how it played out, gasoline was going to be doused on the NBA is rigged fire. Only if I were commissioner of the league, I would have stomped that puppy out right away. See all you have to do to prove your product isn't rigged is show the actual ping pong ball selection live on TV. You can't tell me one good reason why they decide the outcome behind closed doors. It's sketchy, unethical and leaves the door open for way too much speculation.

If they showed the balls being selected, not only would it make the viewing experience more enjoyable (this year's broadcast was awkward and anticlimactic) but it would shut up all the doubters, generate raw emotion from fans and owners and prove that the NBA has nothing to hide. Instead, the league got their man, and now we're left with another year thinking "what just happened?".

-fresh (@danye33)